Pudelpointer

The Pudelpointer is a versatile hunting dog from Germany. It is a pointing breed that began as a cross between the poodle (Pudel in German) and the English Pointer.

History

In 1881 the German breeder Baron von Zedlitz, known as “Hegewald”, set out to create his ideal gun dog: one that would track, point and retrieve, on land and in water. The first sire was Tell, an English Pointer that belonged to Kaiser Frederick III, and the first dam was Molly, a German hunting poodle owned by Hegewald himself.

The aim was to combine the poodle’s intelligence, willingness to learn and love of water and retrieving with the Pointer’s drive to hunt, strong pointing instinct and fine nose, in a dog that would also be good company at home. The poodle’s traits proved much the stronger, so far more Pointers than poodles were needed to reach the right balance. Over the first 30 years, 11 poodles and 80 Pointers were used.

Bodo Winterhelt brought the breed to North America in 1956. His Winterhelle Kennel became its foundation there, and in 1977 he founded the Pudelpointer Club of North America in Canada. He stayed involved with the breed until his death in 2018.

In Germany and North America alike, working ability matters more than anything else. Before a dog or bitch may be bred, it has to pass hunting tests of its field, tracking and water work, with minimum scores set by the breed clubs. North American breeders have deliberately stayed away from American Kennel Club recognition. They believe it would put looks ahead of function and could split the breed into show and working lines, and partly for that reason the Pudelpointer has never become widely popular in the United States.

Appearance

The Pudelpointer stands 53 to 66 cm (21 to 26 in) at the shoulder and weighs between 20 and 30 kg (44 and 66 lb). The ideal coat is harsh, wiry and dense, and it sheds very little. Colors are liver, chestnut and, now and then, black.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.